Sypro: Connecting Shetland to the National Grid and Unlocking Renewable Potential
Posted on 20 May 2026
Approved in 2020 after a decade of planning, the Shetland HVDC Link is a landmark infrastructure project that has connected Shetland to the GB transmission network for the first time. Spearheaded by SSEN Transmission and delivered by contractor BAM, the project is critical to decarbonising the island’s energy supply and unlocking its full renewable energy potential.
Now fully operational, the £660m link enables the connection of the 443MW Viking Wind Farm and provides vital infrastructure supporting Scotland and the UK’s energy security and clean power targets. The project comprises 260km of high-voltage direct current cabling – 250km of which is beneath the North Sea – as well as a substation and converter station in Shetland and an HVDC switching station at Noss Head, in Caithness.
With the link now successfully energised, planning is underway for a second subsea cable to futureproof capacity and enhance resilience across the network.
